Grand Manan will have an air ambulance stationed on the island once again by September.
Ambulance New Brunswick (ANB) announced Thursday it has signed a contract with Voyageur Aviation, which operates the province’s air ambulance program.
This aircraft will be the third in the provincial air ambulance program’s fleet, with a primary and mechanical backup already being operated by the company.
“This is a significant, concrete step forward in improving access to care for the residents of Grand Manan,” Health Minister Bruce Fitch said in a news release.
“Today’s announcement is the culmination of substantial work by many partners.”
The community used to have an island-based medevac service through Grand Manan’s Atlantic Charters.
But the company suspended the service after new Transport Canada regulations took effect in December 2022.
Those new federal regulations would have required Atlantic Charters to hire more pilots — something the company has said could not be done without the “necessary support.”
Until the aircraft is stationed on the island, ANB will work with Voyageur to maximize usage of the backup aircraft to support services on Grand Manan.
This temporary measure is expected to be partially operational starting in March, according to officials.
Ambulance New Brunswick also announced Thursday that it will add around-the-clock advanced care paramedic staffing to the island.
This will complement care already provided by primary care paramedics, as advanced care paramedics can provide more interventions and administer more medications.
Officials said the level of air ambulance services will eventually transition to 24/7 advanced life support services, which will be a first for Grand Manan.
